Immolated (ItaSaku SasuSaku)
by tambett
Summary: Sakura had an opportunity to leave behind everything she's ever known: her hometown, family, friends and bright future. For what? For the sake of a promise she had made one of her patients. She finds herself in a far-away community, with a new name, identity and goal: to fulfill her promise to the mysterious brown haired woman. The top of all, she got herself an unexpected company.
1. Chapter 1

_"But the memories that hang heaviest are the easiest to recall. They hold in their creases the ability to change one's life, organically, forever. Even when you shake them out, they've left permanent wrinkles in the fabric of your soul." - Julie Gregory_

* * *

Recently, she's caught herself at her office's window ledge, spending her late night shift's last few hours here. God knows what time it is, but the sun will soon appear above the horizon. Sitting here, enjoying her beautiful hometown's scenery; she has no idea when this place have become so breathtakingly mesmerizing. When Sakura was little, she spent most of my time searching for secret bunkers all around the village, but somehow it still did not get her eyes like the way it does nowadays.

It was the middle of April; the early, cold nights were said goodbye long before, and as weeks go by, the air keeps getting heavier and heavier. The chilly after-midnight breeze is heavenly this time around, especially when you're literally locked inside a freaking hospital.

You'd think that the night shifts are the most hateful things in a life of a doctor. Commuting between the patient rooms, changing the filled bedpans, mistakenly moved IVs, and emptied infusion bags, and „magically" disappearing catheters... It's a nightmare, really.

It is tiring to be always standby whatever happens, but thankfully, these problems usually stop around 3AM. Suddenly, silence occupies every room on every floor, all you can hear is the lumbering footsteps of the exhausted nurses.

If she wanted to be honest, she's not just sitting here enjoying the weather. As she was resting her head on the window frame, she bored into thought, that maybe, not so far away; _they_ might do the same.

It's been five years. Five _painfully_ long years. After Sasuke's getaway, soonly after Naruto waved goodbye to Konoha, too. Standing alone at the North's gate, with her eyes following his receding figure... She did not want to admit, but she's never felt so left behind like that day.

She was starring down her lap; examining her hands. They were not the hands of an average nineteen-year-old girl. Not even a full-time working doctor. Seeing her short nails, always-bruised knuckles and the callousity of her palm, she clenched her fists. No, it was the hands of a hard-working shinobi. She was not useless anymore.

For the past five years, she was the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage. She became one of the leading figure of the Medical Division. She was a freshy inducted Jounin of Konoha. And most of all, one of the advisors of her teacher, Tsunade Shishou. She got it all by herself. By her own strenght. By her own will. Still, she has never felt so weak.

She was left behind by all his loved ones.

She has lost his parents, her only relatives, in an outrage in the outskirts of the Fire Country almost a year ago. She felt like Life is playing some kind of sick joke with Team 7. They were no more than some bunch of orphaned brats who happened to be in a team, leaded by an orphaned man himself.

However, she did not have the right to be sorrowful. Yes, she was the last Haruno in Konoha, but that did not mean she was alone. Shishou took good care of her since then, giving her extra attention. There was Team 10, who was always at her side: Ino made sure she was occupied in her darker moments, Chouji considered his own task to make sure Sakura was in good shape, did not neglect eating; and there was Shikamaru, the other advisor beside her, who seemed to be a good company on a daily basis. He helped her grow up to the task to be a leading strategist as he is for the Hokage, got to know her strengths and weaknesses, and what she thanked the most: made her days more bearable.

She really appreciated it.

"Zoning out?" She almost fell out the window by the sudden voice. She looked behind, but no one was here. "Out here!" She hold onto the window frame, and looked up the roof. To her surprise, she found herself facing with his old sensei, who was smiling at her as he did back then. It made her smile unconsciously right away.

"Kakashi-sensei, what brings you here? It's really late." she said while tried climbing out. She got some helping hand with that. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. You know that I'm not your sensei anymore, right? There's no need formalities." His smile was still there, and playfully ruffled the kunoichi's hair. Sakura laughed at the familiar gesture, she couldn't help it. Oh the nostalgy hit her right in the heart. Looks like there are things that never change. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would enjoy my book a little bit."

"Old habits never change, Sensei!" Sakura suspiciously glared at her ex-teacher. "May I ask, I don't want to horn in, but it's around 4AM, no lamppost nearby, how did you plan on reading?"

It looks like did not bother Kakashi, his kind face didn't vanish. He just sat down on the edge of the building and patted the place next to him. She sat beside him. "It's a peaceful night isn't it?"

Sakura looked around one more time in her beloved hometown. "It is." They remained in silence for a few minutes. He broke the silence.

"It's not the first time I saw you there sitting alone at night. Something's bother you perhaps?" She did not show it, but she was surprised. She felt like a child who was caught at something bad. She was thinking if she should share her thoughts with him. She realized, she has nothing to lose. She reached into her medical cape's inner pocket. She kept her most treasured memory here. "I think about them a lot." The copy-nin looked carefully at the hand of hers, to reveal a little bit wrinkled photo between her fingers. It was the picture of Team 7. He saw her tenderly touch each people on it. "You don't miss them?"

Kakashi reached for his kunai pouch, taking out two more photograph, placing one in her hands. She smiled genuinely. Looking at hers and his duplicate; both worn out, both cherished. She knew her teacher understood her pain. Looking at him she noticed he was pondering about another picture in his hands. She has never saw that other image before. "I know how you feel, Sakura. When I was younger, I've lost both my comrade one by one. I felt lost and out of space. Just like you." He showed the photo to her. "Obito and I were just like Naruto and Sasuke. "He pointed to a black haired man. "Always competing, constantly arguing. And there was Rin. Rin was the smarter one from all of us. She always made us make up with Obito. I always believed she was the strongest from all of us. She was just like you." Kakashi's smile was bitter but honest one. "She made us whole."

"I didn't know Sensei was trained by the Fourth Hokage." She just smiled at his compliments, but this sentence was really bugging here since she first glanced at the picture. Kakashi-sensei never mentioned this detail.

"Aa. He was a softie, if you ask me." Sakura couldn't help but laugh at his statement. The copy-nin laughed with her, while hugging her a little with one hand. Sakura found this gesture so calming. His father used to do the same when he was comforting. "Believe me when I say, I understand your feelings. Be thankful that both of your teammates still lives, even if somewhere else at the moment. Unfortunately, this gift is not given my mates nor sensei."

She felt so selfish. Sensei was right, it could've been worse. At least, they're safe and sound. Even, if one of them is still walking on a dark path.

"She was pretty."

"Hm?" He looked questionly. Sakura was pointing at the girl on the photo.

"Rin."

"Aa." He shook his head approvingly. "That was the only thing Obito and I agreed on."

She stared at Kakashi, puzzling out the truth behind his words. Was Sensei in love with her? Maybe... that's why he doesn't have anyone in his life...? But she didn't dare to ask. She just realized she was still staring. "Sorry."

"It's okay." He patted her shoulder. They remained in silence.

She was grateful. So grateful, she cannot even describe. Her melancholic mood was washed away by his ex-teacher's comforting words. That's all she needed: someone who understand her grief. She didn't realize how much resemblance she and Kakashi has. Both without parents, teammates, living in their own world of theirs. One in his books, the other in her office's window. She was happy, because she's not alone. She never were.

"I wasn't reading my book." His voice brought her back to the present. She looked at her questionly. "I had a hunch. Something is odd tonight. It's... too peaceful. I thought I would look around." His sudden serious voice made her stiffen. "I just finished when I saw you. I thought you might felt the same."

"I think I was too much in my little world to notice. Sorry." He chuckled for her sheepish response.

"Haha, don't be! I'm glad I had a chance to talk with you. I hope I could you a little bit." She gave him her biggest honest smile she hadn't had in a while. "Everything was perfectly fine, by the way. I think I was just too worried."

"Thank you, Sensei. I really needed this." She gave back his pieces of photos, and planted hers in her pocket while she stood up. "I think I should go back now. My shift is almost over, they might notice I left."

"Of course. I should go too, I'll have a meeting with Hokage-sama in about an hour. Take care of yourself, Sakura, alright?" His half eye smiley lovingly to her ex-student who sweetly returned the gesture.

"Alright. Take care, Sensei." Then he left in a poof. She jumped back to her office, and went for a last check-on before her shift ended.


	2. Chapter 2

_"God is going to send you someone that will rescue you. Then one day you will rescue them in return and together your story will rescue others. He has always been a God of rescues and a maker of warriors for his grace. You only need to believe that you are part of something greater than you know." - Shannon L. Adler_

* * *

You'd think that the night shifts are the most hateful things in a life of a doctor.

And it's true. At least, Haruno Sakura wouldn't disagree with the statement this time.

A painful groan left her mouth, as she realized she fell asleep on her office's couch, again. She had no idea what time it was, but examining the quantity of light escaping through the window, it was most likely to be around 8, so she already knew she was late – again – from her advisor meeting. She pulled over her head her improvised blanket – aka her lab coat – and stirred away from the annoying rays to drift back to her deep slumber, risking a scene with her Shishou. But for her, it was worth it, since it was the first well-slept night for a long time.

She didn't have nightmares, she would rather have one, though. You see, her problem was not the quality of sleep, more like its frequency. Due the never-ending shifts in the hospital and in her advisory role, her alertness had to be always on top. That was the life of the shinobi; one careless moment can destroy everything you have ever built. In her matter, it could mean mass death on both sides. The remorse instantly shot her eyes open.

Her insomnia worsened by the late talk with her former sensei. It's been a week since the night she met Kakashi. Staring at the ceiling, all she could think about are his concerned words; she hadn't seen him so care-worn since Sasuke's leaving. His deep frown expression made her more cautious than ever before. She was scared. Hell, she was terrified; who wouldn't be? She had enough attending on funerals, seeing somebody's last breath to take in the surgery, still feeling the blood sticking to her hands. So many pointless death, many could be avoidable... Still, the names on the cenotaph kept growing and growing.

Sitting up between painful groans, knowing she had no choice but to start her day. Yes, she had chosen this life. This was the way with being a shinobi.

Having some spare clothing in the cabinet behind the door has saved her life once again. Standing in front of her mirror, she cringed at her own sight: her plain sleeveless red sweatshirt and black ninja trousers made her look like a genin-on-training rather than a jounin or an advisor. Her face did not make it any better; she was paler than usual and her dark circles were on a whole new level. Smoothing out her mid-length messy pink locks, she looked far from decent; still, it was more than she could hope for. She slammed her office door behind her, and yawningly approached the Hokage tower in a lazy pace.

At least, she was about to.

Crossing the hospital's hall still deep in the thoughts, thinking about a believable excuse for Shishou, already one leg out of the hospital entrance, something caught her eyes. Turning back to the building's hall, she realized what made her freeze to the spot.

The waiting room was occupied by strange foreigners.

How could she not notice? The aura of the room was freezing cold, the tension was on point. They were not any kind of strangers. They were armed (so obviously ninjas) and they were sort of dressed in unison; it looked similar to the ANBU uniform but it was all black instead and it seemed heavier. Were they a special force of Shishou? She doubted it, though since she would know about them. They were creeping her out as the all kinds of animal masks were staring at her as one person, not helping with her self-confidence. Hearing a quiet growl from their direction, almost made her snap at them. Oh, how much she hated ANBUs. They were the most ungrateful shinobis from all, she couldn't stand their down-looking attitude. Rising an eyebrow at them, she tiptoed back to the information table, ignoring the constant stares. The tension made her nerves almost to the breakpoint. Her short temper did not help at all.

"Ah, Haruno-san! Finally, someone is here!" The woman behind the desk rushed to the pinkette before she could reach her and grabbed her hands fearly. Her terrified eyes made Sakura concerned, what the problem could possibly be, but the brown haired woman's careful glances toward the waiting room answered the question. "Is something wrong, Mizuki? Who are they?"

"We have absolutely no idea! They occupied the waiting room and not willing to leave until we stitch them together!

"... Stitch?" Sakura looked back at the black dressed shinobis, and she finally examined them thoroughly.

There were at four ninja at the chairs; all of them wearing their masks. Two in the front row, the other pair behind them. If the pinkette had to guess, according to their body shape, she would say three of them were men, maybe one woman in the back. Their posture were stoic, more like sculptures than humans, not showing any signs of pain. Obviously, there had to be some, since some of them bled a beautiful pond around the chairs. She had absolutely no idea who were the most wounded ones, since their black attire and emotionless body language did not make it easier to find them.

"Have you examine them with the head nurse?"

"Haruno-san, that's impossible! We cannot treat someone who might be a threat to the village. They are not cooperative at all, on the top of that, all they say is they want Hokage-sama to heal them." Sakura looked at the little nurse in front of her.

"Tsunade, eh?" The woman nodded.

"They only trust her. We told them that Hokage-sama is in full duty for the village, barely in the hospital, but they didn't listen." She couldn't leave the hospital leaving this situation behind. But she had to attend the meeting in the Hokage Tower, too. Raising her eyes to the ceiling, she knew she might – or for sure will - regret her decision, but she couldn't left behind the clinic – her clinic! – with a possible risk. To the top, according to the quantity of the red pond, one of them would faint soon due the blood loss. And heck no, if she's letting hell break loose if that happens.

I'm so sorry, Shishou, I hope you understand.

"Mizuki, bring my medic coat to the Examination Room 2. I'll be there in a minute. Ask Ino-san for assistance."

"But Sakura-san, they-"

"Just do as I say, please."

"H-Hai." And she hurriedly ran to the stairs.

Sakura took a deep breath, and approached the ANBU party. Apparently, she wasn't scared at all, the pinkette was used to the cold shoulder, thanks to the many Konoha ANBU she has treated, and of course, let's give a big applause to Sasuke, too. So, she determinedly stood in front of the four shinobi. All of them avoided eye contact with her, though it wasn't a surprise. It looked like they thought twice to stare like before, and she liked to think it was because of her deterrent appearance. It was highly unlikely, though, but a girl can dream, right?

She already had a plan how to kick the rabbit out of the bush.

"Are you going to sit here all day or is there any purpose you guys being here?" Task one: _break the ice_. She could feel the sudden murderous aura around them, honestly, Sakura didn't give a fuck. Scanning through the small circle, she could already one men of them was hot-headed bastard for sure. He was extremely annoyed – she had the experience to notice, didn't she? – which means it will be more than easy to make them to talk. Taking it to the next level, she indiscreetly leaned into the dog-shaped masked man's face, who was growling at her disturbing presence. Finally, earning some reaction, she attacked where it is the most painful for a hot-blooded asshole: his pride.

"Looks like someone forgot this years' vaccination. The veterinarian is in the building to the left, Darling." Though she couldn't see his eyes, the intensity of his stare made her shiver. Like she would let him see that!

"Fuck off."

Oh this man was so much fun to tease. His temper was more than entertaining.

"Now now, is it the way you talk to a lady?" Oh gosh, he's about to explode. The man on his right (wearing a fox mask) shot a hard look to him, trying to silence him, but it was no use. ANBU and their prides, such a deadly pair. The man behind them murmured something similar, too. "Should I suggest a dog trainer for you, too?"

The next moment she was pinned to the floor by the neck. A small chuckle left her mouth victoriously, making the masked man even more furious. Sakura could barely breathe by the strong clench, but she knew she had to play this through.

"Strangle the only person who's willing to help you? Not so wise." She croaked. Before the man could even reply, he was forced back to his chair by the fox masked man. The pinkette was gasping for air. She instantly regretted her plan. It was a really stupid idea. Just the usual.

"W-was it necessary, K-kuro? S-she's just t-teasing you." The shaky woman voice has attracted Sakura's attention. The ninja who saved her from the man on rampage, held out a hand for the now normally breathing kunoichi, she accepted it with a small nod as a sign of gratitude. He then turned behind to talk.

"Shiro, don't talk or move, okay? The doctor will be soon here. Dai-san is already looking for her." Finally, standing steady on her feet, finally scanned the woman behind the two men. She couldn't see her face due her mask (rabbit, really?), but the Haruno was sure she was in agonizing pain; her arms were hugging herself under her cape, and the pinkette noticed her constant shivering. She couldn't see her wounds, though, she hid it perfectly from the curious eyes. No wonder she couldn't notice them before, you had to be really close to catch the hints. _And who is this Dai-san?_ she thought.

"I can heal you, too." Sakura's direct sentence caught the attention of the other woman. She just stared at the abnormally hair coloured woman, whose green eyes held so much trust and kindness, she couldn't help but notice her resemblance with someone she has known once very well. She wanted to decline in the moment it was offered, since she did not need a second-rated nurse's second-rated service.

"Why?" That was the only question that occurred her mind.

"I am a doctor. It would be a shame if I let you bleed to death in the waiting room."

Doctor? So, she wasn't a sort of a nurse-in-training? Feeling her teammate tensed next to her, she realized she wasn't the only one being shocked. The pink haired woman held out a hand for her, right between two of her comrade, not being scared to be attacked again. "Really, I don't bite." It was new to her; she was smiling at her like no tomorrow, and she couldn't decide if this random woman was viciously brave or simply an idiot. What was her intention, anyway?

Staring at the soft palm that still confidently was there for her, she took the helping hand. She did not know why, but she trusted this strange looking woman. "Alright." And it bothered her to the limits.

Before her team could realize, Sakura already helped the woman up from the chair, guiding her slowly by her palm at the ANBU vest.

"The boys stay here, Mizuki-chan and Ino-san will heal you when they're back. Bye-bye!" The three men just stood there, dumbfounded, looking at the two woman slowly approaching the corridor on the right. When they were nowhere to be seen, they looked questionly at each other. Kuro shook his head with a small frown on his face.

"What an annoying bitch."

"Kuro!"

"Hn."

"So, Shiro-chan, how can I help you?" The self-volunteered "kind-of-doctor" freaked her out, really. The way she smiled and said her name – and not to mention the unnecessary suffix! - made her shiver to the bones. The local woman sat down next to her on a chair (already wearing her ridiculous white lab coat) while she was laying on the examination table. The pinkette literally looked nothing like a doctor; the way she walked, looked more like a clumsy assistant or something, her clothing was so odd, she reminded her more like a patient than a professional. There was her attitude, she acted like an irritating brat. And the top of that, her head looked like a fucking cotton candy!

"I'm b-bleeding, o-obviously." Her angered voice tone was lingering in the room, tough, it did not seem to bother the pinkette. And idiotic smile spread on her lips. "Right, right! So for starters, show me your scars, 'kay? We will see what I can do with it." The brown haired woman, still wearing her mask, carefully removed her vest from her from her upper body, not showing any sign of pain. Oh Kami, how much it hurts, she thought, but she would never admit it, especially not this odd looking girl. How old was she anyway? She had no idea, but definitely too young to be a doctor. But now there were no place for second thoughts.

Throwing away the surplus fabric, she started to get dizzy. She inwardly cursed at herself forgetting that the jacket sort of worked as a tourniquet. When she shake-handily reached for her sweatshirt to reveal her scarred stomach, she was outdistanced by a pair of warm hands that determinately tore apart the warm sweater from the bottom. Before the brown haired woman could complain – oh, how much she wanted to! – her vision became blurred, the shivering became unbearable and she knew she will black out soonly. She reached her gaze at the woman beside her, who was still working steadily on her wound, not really bothering about her near unconsciousness. She couldn't help but wonder if it was on purpose or not. She should have brought one of her teammates inside! Before she could signal her, she was swallowed by darkness.

It's been almost three hours since Sakura has started the treatment of the masked woman, and soon she will be finished with the last layers of tissue. The foreign ninja got a pretty ugly scar at her stomach; it laid right under her ribs all the way down to the hip bone, literally slicing through her. If Sakura had to guess, the lean but deep wound was made by probably a really sharp blade, like a katana. She was lucky, it looked like her organs were just slightly damaged, thanks to her brawned body. However, reconditioning muscles were not the easiest thing to: connecting together fibers to fibers, was more like a patience game, not many doctor paid attention to this kind of wounds. Nature can do its thing beautifully; leaving it self-healing, it could be an option, but considering the situation, it wasn't even a possibility. Those arrogant bastards out there didn't look like they want to stay here more than it was necessary, and she did not plan on any warm welcome for either for them.

Falling to the chair behind her, she let out a tired sigh. It was almost noon, and she was already tired as hell, her sleep deprivation did not help at all. Starring the healed ANBU made her thinking. Why was it necessary to be healed by her Shishou? Who could they be? She had a pretty ugly wound, that's for sure, but it wasn't life-threatening to ask for her master.

Looking at the unconscious woman, examining every inch of her body, made her thinking. She was still wearing her mask - oh how much she wished to accidentally push it off during the procedure –, not letting a clear view to her pale face. However, as a medic, it was not necessary to see a face or know a name for information; a body could tell many tale.

Looking more and more through the body, the most noticeable oddity was the paleness still roughness of her skin. It was really strange, she has only seen such similar symptoms when Sakura was in duty in Yuki no Kuni for a few months, as a temporary doctor there. The snow literally dried out their skin until it cracked and bled. This woman had even worse condition than they did, especially on her arms. She might lived in a snowy region as well?

Then she noticed her legs, which were a little bit X-shaped, like she had carried a bigger amount of excess weight. She doubt that she had any weight issues back then, she had a strongly toned body – which was Sakura a little bit jealous of –, it was only achievable for many years of hard work and training. However, the skin on her stomach was not as tight as on the other parts of her body. If it did not tell enough, the ultimate proof she needed were her hipbones. It was wider, almost sharp, like it was a little bit flattened by pressure. Common symptoms of a previous pregnancy. Calling her examining chakra, it showed her, her womb has almost got back its shape, but she had pretty badly breast pain. When Sakura realized the signs, she was more than furious.

Who would let go a woman who just given birth on a mission? Her womb did not even got back to its original shape, meaning she give birth in less than three months. For God's sake, she should breastfeeding a baby in every 2-5 hours! A small, depending newborn! It made her heart clenched in an awfully familiar way, but she had to push away her bitter feelings. There was a possibility for miscarriage, too. Sakura had no idea who their leader was, or their intention, but she was having nausea by the thought of that heartless person. Starring down at the laying woman beside her with true empathy, she promised herself to talk with that earlier mentioned "Dai-san".

"Is she fine?" Sakura startled by the sudden voice from behind. She didn't feel any presence nearby, how did he sneak inside? The pinkette turned around to face the unknown yet familiar man. She recognized his mask (it was a bear one); he was the silent man from before, next to the wounded woman. He was crouching on the window ledge - when did she open the window? - and his gaze was burning her like vivid fire. His presence was more than intimidating; in a way, it frightened her dearly. She tried collecting herself, with more or less success. Why did she feel so disturbed?

"Yes, she needs some rest and she will recover shortly. "She turned back to the woman and put a light blanket over her body. "I cannot offer a ward for her, though. Without any information, it is out of my scope to do that." The soft footsteps coming closer made her shiver to the bones. With every step, the katana on his back clanked quietly, until he reached the opposite side of the examination table, scanning his teammate's face. He was deeply in his thoughts. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, finally he spoke.

"We cannot give you any information." Sakura couldn't help but sigh with resignation. She wasn't expecting much, still, disappointment rushed through her body. Are they really letting this woman down? Is it really what ANBU is about? Hell, are they ANBU at all?! But before she could argue, he continued with a sigh. "But it is my responsibility to stand for my people. I will personally assure you that we won't make any disturbance for your Hokage and village."

Sakura stood there the dumbfounded. Did he really think a verbal promise will be enough to smooth things out? Did she look like fool?

"I am a woman of proof. Therefore, vows are not enough to convince me." Oh, she started to lose her patience with him. She hated the sweet talk he used on her. The man still just stood there, not even bothering to look her direction, still looking at the unconscious woman. The pinkette understood him, really. His teammate was hurt, and couldn't do anything to protect her. Then he is forced to share information which would endanger his entire team for the sake of one, who might be mother of a newborn. Hell, she wouldn't be in his place right now. Still, it was not her position to be convinced. "Ask Hokage-sama for a permission. Until then, she can stay in my office. Up until the third floor, then take the left staircase." And without any further do, she aimed for the exit door.

"Wait." Her hand was already on the door knobs. With a slight head-turning, she was waiting for him to speak. And he said something she had never dreamed of to her from an ANBU. "Thank you, Haruno-san."

 _How the hell did he know her name?_

"Your nameplate."

Oh, the sly bastard. Her idiocy made her blush up until the tip of her ears. She opened the door and left hastily, not intending to reply, still, she couldn't stop herself to murmur something about ANBUs and their perplex nature.

She was already out of earshot to hear a soft chuckle back from the room.


End file.
